


it's the greatest time of year

by earlymorningechoes



Series: esther hawke: ringing joyful and triumphant [3]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: F/F, Gift Giving, Holidays, Satinalia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-28
Updated: 2016-12-28
Packaged: 2018-09-12 20:03:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9088246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/earlymorningechoes/pseuds/earlymorningechoes
Summary: Merrill's not accustomed to these human holidays yet.





	

    There's a single candle in nearly every window of the mansions along the street as Merrill leaves the viscount’s gardens, and she squints at a few in confusion. The candles don't stop as she approaches Lowtown and the alienage, even some on the doorsteps of houses that don't have windows. When she finally reaches her own house, still mulling over the candles, she finds Esther knocking on her door, a small sack thrown over one shoulder instead of her staff. “Esther! What are you doing here?”

    Esther turns quickly, sliding the sack to the ground in one fluid motion. She gives Merrill a crooked smile as she rummages through it, eventually pulling out a small package wrapped in heavy brown paper and tied with twine. “Happy Satinalia.” She gestures for Merrill to open the package, but the elf hesitates and tilts her head. 

    “Satinalia? Is that a holiday? Is that why there's so many candles? Everything is so quiet!”

    Esther laughs. “Kirkwallers are a little more reserved with their celebrations than we Fereldans. Now, open your present, and then we’ll go find the others and give theirs too.” She leans sideways against the wall, looking back expectantly. Merrill tugs at the twine bow and unfolds the paper slowly, careful not to rip it, until Esther makes an impatient noise. The paper finally falls away to reveal a carved wooden daisy, delicate and light in her palm. She stares at it for a moment, lost in thought.

    “Carver helped,” Esther says drily, breaking the daisy’s spell. “And he's very put out that I keep making woodcarver jokes now. Anyways, let's go down and get Anders, I'm sure he’ll want to meet at the Hanged Man later for some Ferelden-style celebrating.” She slides her hand into Merrill’s and pulls her towards the stairs to Darktown.

    Merrill follows Esther all over the city, distributing the small carved presents from the Hawke siblings to more people than she can count and inviting their friends to join them at the bar. They run into Carver when their sack is about half-empty, his own sack looking the same and Fenris tagging along behind him. Carver gives his sister a glowering look as she waves exaggeratedly at him, and Merrill is sure she sees a ghost of a smile cross Fenris’s face before they go their separate ways. 

    They empty their sack, except for the gifts to Isabela and Varric at the Hanged Man, as the sun slips below the horizon. As they make their way towards the bar, Merrill mulls over the gifts - a carved cat for Anders, a plaque with a verse from the Chant of Light for Sebastian - and can't believe how observant Esther is that she's crafted the perfect gift for every person she knows. They join their friends at their usual table once they’re in the Hanged Man, and Varric hands each of them a mug. 

    “A Fereldan Satinalia sounds much more entertaining than a Kirkwall one,” he quips, clinking his own mug against Esther's before they both drink deeply. Esther bangs her mug hard on the table, causing laughter to ripple around the table, and Merrill leans in to press a kiss to her lips.

    “I think I like Fereldan Satinalia too,” she says, and Esther cheers.


End file.
